Rumours have been flying this week of the major American Eagle regional jet build-up at MIA, and how it is finally going to be going full-speed ahead later this year. There are some rumours indicating a possible American Eagle (MQ) base at MIA. Currently, one OW (Executive) has a base at MIA. MQ operates RJs and Saabs and OW operates ATRs. Currently, American Eagle RJs operate out of MIA to:

On 1 May 2004, MQ will takeover the daily MIA-PIT frequency from mainline and add two daily MIA-BNA flights, in addition to the daily S80 service. On 2 January 2005, MQ will add a third MIA-CMH frequency, that will operate daily. In December, even though not yet open for booking, MQ will add Miami-Dayton and Miami-Memphis.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens, we'll definitley see some on the above list, and maybe some surprises. For the most part, American Eagle's new service at MIA will not replace any mainline service. It will only be added in new markets or compliment mainline service in existing markets (like what they are doing with Nashville). Most of the markets above really can't support daily S80s or 738s to MIA, so RJs are the perfect substitute.

American Eagle has a huge presense at XNA, I believe they are the largest carrier. I don't know what it would make sense for, and I don't think it will happen. The only logic behind it is that there is a decent sized FF base in the XNA area, and it would give them easy accsess to vacation destinations. XNA is definitley the least likely of all them.

American Eagle has a huge presense at XNA, I believe they are the largest carrier. I don't know what it would make sense for, and I don't think it will happen. The only logic behind it is that there is a decent sized FF base in the XNA area, and it would give them easy accsess to vacation destinations. XNA is definitley the least likely of all them.

American Eagle is the largest carrier in the Northwest Arkansas region.... Many FFs do fly through XNA, however, most of them don't live there. Most traffic transiting XNA is not locals... it is persons calling on Wal-Mart. Being the largest corporation, Wal-Mart uses that influence and demands that those who do business with Wal-Mart come to them, not the other way around.

How about getting some of those Eagle RJ's to go to RSW more frequently, I know they fly ATR 72's on the route now and they are packed almost every flight.

American Airlines knows they are pretty packed too. They are increasing it to 4x daily on 1 May 2004.

However, you won't be seeing RJs on MIA-RSW. American Eagle plans no RJ service intra-Florida (RSW, EYW, and JAX will stay ATRs; MCO and TPA each have 5 daily mainline flights; service to GNV and resumption of flights to SRQ and APF are all being discussed, and they would all be ATRs).

Also, Eagle's ATR-72s seat only one less passenger and carry more cargo than the largest RJ they have, the CRJ-700.

Speaking of a large FF base, why not do a TUL-MIA route. American is by far the largest carrier in Tulsa and would do very well with a daily or 2X daily CRJ 700 flight to MIA. Maybe do this in conjunction with the restart of LAX-TUL. Something like an early morning dept. from MIA-TUL-LAX? I think that with all the connections available at MIA the flight would do very well.

I like Stock1985's TUL idea. It is sad that little XNA has non-stops to LAX and LGA, when they have a metro area much smaller than TUL's. There was an article in the Tulsa World a while back about how some people even drive from TUL to XNA for the LAX flight. TUL used to have a S80 non-stop to LAX, but I believe that was for maintenance or something.

Just a little historical feedback on Eagle service in MIA. Having worked there for years and years Eagle has been through many ups and downs in this market. They have built up and torn down service both viable and not viable numerous times. There was a point /during the pure prop years/ where Eagle was running approx 103 sked daily flights and has been as low as half that. MIA has proved to be the Forrest Gump hub for Eagle ya just never know whats next.